Don’t expect British Columbia to ease COVID-19 restrictions sooner in regions with lower case counts like Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, the Kootenays, and the North.
“It’s clear, based on the evidence, that some regions and industries have been hit harder than others across the province,” B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said, noting he sent a letter to Premier John Horgan to that effect earlier this month.
“It seems reasonable to at least consider tailored, regional reopening plans based on the specific case counts of each region.”
Wilkinson went on to say a regional approach to reopening things like the tourism industry will make sense, as long as it can be done safely, noting tourism is an integral part of the B.C. economy bringing in about $20-billion in revenue.
However, John Horgan says for now there is one plan to reopen every corner of the province at the same time.
“It’s been pretty categorical [from health officials] that the virus is everywhere in British Columbia, there is not one part of the province that is less susceptible to outbreak if we don’t follow the directions that have been laid out by public health officials,” he said, during a media briefing on Wednesday.
“We have opened up our campsites. There are people camping and they are going to see more and more travel throughout the summer as we get towards Phase Three.”
The earliest B.C. could see additional travel allowed is later this month, if the number of COVID-19 cases does not spike as restaurants, libraries, and other personal service businesses reopen as part of Phase Two.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says measures such as hand washing and physical distancing has brought down the number of COVID-19 cases, adding that health officials will be closely watching case numbers over the coming days to determine when B.C. could move toward the next phase of its reopening plan.
There are no confirmed active COVID-19 cases in the Interior, Northern and Vancouver Island Health regions. As of Friday, there were 2,632 conformed cases across B.C., 195 in the Interior Health Authority, with the last case announced in the Interior coming over a week ago, on May 28.
“Having different rules in the North or on the Island or on the Kootenays is not going to change that fact that cruise ships aren’t going to be landing in British Columbia,” Horgan said, noting there will be a focus on domestic tourism this year.
“It’s not going to change the fact that international travel restrictions are going to keep people away. So a regional strategy just doesn’t work when it comes to international tourism.”
He previously said the government continues to review when international travel could return amid the COVID-19 pandemic, although it scheduled to be a part of Phase Four, which is not expected to kick in until there is a vaccine or community immunity.
